Living the Dream
by flowergirl125
Summary: Kurt Hummel had loved the Warblers for years, and when he finally gets a chance to see them perform in person, his whole life changes in the blink of an eye. One-shot, famous!Blaine.


Kurt sat at his desk spinning the ring on his left hand as he scrolled down the page on his phone, Rachel and Mercedes also looking at it from on either side of him. He bit his lip in anticipation with every swipe, hoping to find the city he was looking for.

As soon as the Warblers had announced their American tour, Kurt had whipped out his phone to look at the tour stops. He, Rachel, and Mercedes had been fans of the band since freshman year when they heard one of their songs on the radio on the way to their very first Sectionals competition. The song that started their obsession was a very positive pump up song that had the three friends singing along as soon as they got the words down.

Over the past three years, the boy band was a source of hope and happiness in the three teen's lives, especially for Kurt. When his dad had his first heart attack, the Warblers and their music helped him through it. When Karofsky kissed him, Kurt dealt with the guilt and disgust by listening to his favorite songs. When he didn't get into the college of his dreams, the Warblers held him up and got him through it.

They were especially helpful when Kurt would be bullied by Karofsky and his jocks at school. He would go to the bathroom or library or someplace where he could be alone and would find solace and acceptance in the music where he didn't find it at school. The Warblers were Kurt's life line, and if he could meet them in person and go to their concert, nothing was going to stop him.

Kurt continued to scroll through the list of cities the band would be stopping at, his anxiety growing with each swipe. He had a nagging feeling the farther he went down that there would be no concert near them, as it always had been. Mercedes saw their stop before he did, and about jumped out of her seat to point at it.

"There it is!" she exclaimed. "They're coming to Columbus!"

The three smiled to each other as Kurt came to a stop at the listing. In the two and a half years since they'd discovered the Warblers, the band had never came to Columbus or anywhere in Ohio. They always stuck to the far more popular cities like Chicago, New York, and LA. Every time they announced a tour, the three friends poured over the list, looking for somewhere close to them, and now they'd finally found it after years of being denied a concert.

"How much are tickets?" Rachel asked, leaning over Kurt's shoulder to look at his phone screen. Kurt clicked on the link for Columbus tickets, left hand still spinning his ring nervously. If the tickets were too much for him to afford, he'd be devastated. He had some money saved up from working in his dad's garage, but right now any money that they had went to his dad's medical bills that he was still paying off, so there was no way he would even think to ask his dad for money.

The link took what seemed like forever to the three friends to load because of the school's crap wifi, but when it finally did, Kurt was beyond ecstatic to find that the general admission tickets were just barely in his price range. He looked at the VIP tickets on a whim, just to see how much he would need for one, and found that they were over three times the price of regular tickets. The concert was just over a month away, so even if he wanted to there would be no way to raise that much money in time to buy those tickets. There was no way he would be able to meet his idols face to face, but he was okay with that as long as he could at least see them and listen to their music in person. That would be enough for him, Kurt thought. Mercedes and Rachel seemed to have other ideas, however.

"Oh we are so getting VIP tickets!" Rachel squealed into his ear. She pointed at the price - which Kurt had already seen, thank you very much - before clapping. "They're not that much, we should do it!"

When Kurt opened his mouth to protest, Mercedes spoke before he could. "It's a little out of my price range, but I'm sure I could scrape up enough in time," she said, smiling over Kurt's head at Rachel. "What about you, Kurt?" she asked, noticing the boy's silence. "Don't you want to meet Blaine?"

Kurt sighed and locked his phone, sick of staring at the numbers on the screen. Of course he wanted to meet Blaine Anderson. He wanted to meet _all_ of the Warblers, but Blaine held a special place in his heart above all the rest. He was openly gay too, and always advocated for equal rights and marriage equality for all. He gave advice on how to deal with bullies and bigots, and held charity events for the Human Rights Campaign. He even wrote a song supporting LGBT+ people, titled Girls/Girls/Boys. It was Kurt's favorite song of the Warblers and it was the one he always listened to when he was down. He'd even went so far as to get a small tattoo of some of the lyrics on his wrist the day he turned 18 after saving up the money for months. Every time he looked down, the still tender tattoo showed the words "Love is not a choice" stared back at him, reminding him that he was valid and not a freak like some of the school's jocks insisted he was. If Kurt could meet just one of the Warblers, Blaine would always be his first choice.

"I can't, 'Cedes. They're too much for me. I'll just be happy to go to the concert," he said. "You guys go ahead and get the VIP tickets if you want them."

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked, frowning down at him. "We don't have to get them if you can't come with us."

Kurt shook his head with a sigh, but smiled up at his two girls. "I want you guys to go for me," he said. "You shouldn't not go just 'cause I can't."

Mercedes and Rachel nodded to each other over Kurt's head before leaning down and hugging him tight. Both exclaimed a quiet, "Thank you!" before drawing back. They both sat back down in their seats and returned to what they were supposed to be doing. Kurt turned his phone back on to check the availability of tickets for the concert. He didn't want to wait too long and then not even get one, so he planned on buying his as soon as he got home.

As he sat at his desk and stared off into space, Kurt remembered one very important thing that he'd have to do before he could buy his ticket. He had to ask his dad for permission to go. He may have just turned 18, but he still lived under his dad's house and still always asked him permission before doing things.

He spun the ring on his little finger, nervous about what his dad would say. It was a nervous habit he'd picked up over the years, spinning the ring on his left hand. It had belonged to his mother before she died, and ever since then he'd barely ever taken it off. It was made for a woman's hand, so it was too small for him to wear it on his ring finger like he wanted to, but he wore it on his little finger anyways. The ring itself was beautiful; it was a simple platinum band but woven around it were black etchings in an almost Celtic design. Whenever he spun the ring, it reminded him of his mother's smile and the scent of her perfume and always seemed to calm him. Before the Warbler's it was the thing that grounded him most days and kept him from going insane.

When Kurt got home later that day, his father was still at the shop working, as evidenced by his truck missing from the driveway. Kurt checked the remaining ticket availability to make sure that he could wait until his father was home to ask him, and thankfully it seemed like he could. It had only been a few hours since the tickets went on sale, but Kurt was worried that there would be tons of people like him that lived around Columbus and were also waiting for the chance to see the Warblers in person. The general admission tickets were still in a safe stock, but the VIP were not, and Kurt called Rachel and Mercedes as he was making dinner to let them know.

"Are you sure you're okay with us going without you?" Mercedes asked after he'd told them about the limited amount of tickets left. "Rachel and I could pitch in and try to buy you a ticket."

Kurt smiled down at the floor but shook his head. "I can't ask that of you guys," he said. "You buy your tickets and I'll buy mine, and that'll be that. I'm fine not going to the meet and greet as long as I just get to see them in person, ya'know? That's all I really want."

"Mhm," Rachel hummed skeptically. "Well, if you change your mind, let us know. We'd be happy to donate money to the 'help Kurt Hummel meet Blaine Anderson' fund."

"Thanks guys," Kurt laughed. "I'll see you at school tomorrow?" The girls confirmed and the three said their goodbyes. Kurt hung up his phone and returned to making food just in time for his father to walk through the door.

"What's cookin'?" Burt asked in lieu of greeting as he joined Kurt in the kitchen.

Kurt laughed and shook his head. Always about the food, his father. "I'm making some beef stew," he said, moving to chop vegetables on the counter. "It still has meat, so you can't complain, but it's not as bad for you. I also have a loaf of bread in the oven."

Burt eyed Kurt as he cut up something on a cutting board. He crossed his arms and cleared his throat, trying to get his son's attention. "You're butterin' me up," he accused. "What do you want, kid?"

Kurt looked down at the counter, not even realizing that he was making one of his dad's favorite meals. "I-" Kurt started, not knowing what to say. Burt laughed and uncrossed his arms.

"You can tell me, Kurt. What is it you want?" he asked.

"Well the Warblers are coming to Columbus soon-" Kurt said.

"Okay," Burt interrupted, shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay? I can go?" Kurt asked, dropping his knife and turning to his dad.

"I don't see why not, kid. If you want to go, I ain't gonna stop you."

Kurt rounded the kitchen counter before dragging his dad down into a hug. "Thank you!" he exclaimed, squeezing his dad tight. Burt laughed and clapped his son on the back.

"'Course, bud," Burt chuckled as his son detached from his side. "Is anyone going with you?"

"Yes, Mercedes and Rachel are both going too," Kurt confirmed.

Burt nodded. "If it's alright with their parents, I want you three to pitch in and rent a hotel room for the night. I know you'll feel energetic after the concert, but you'll crash in an hour or so, and I don't want you kids on the road when that happens," he said.

"Okay, I'll tell them," he said, pulling out his phone. "Anything else?"

"I just want you kids to be safe when you go," Burt said. "Bring pepper spray, food, and water with you and I want at least one of you to have your phone on at all times updating us of how you're doin'."

Kurt nodded as he typed in all his dad's requests into their group chat. He thought they were reasonable requests, and the girls seemed to too. Kurt relayed this information to his dad, who was glad to hear that his kids were going to be safe. He had absolutely no problem letting Kurt go to the concert. The Warblers were what got Kurt through the difficult times and he wasn't going to tell him he couldn't go. His only fear was that they would get hurt after the concert; the nightlife of downtown Columbus wasn't the prettiest, and he wanted his son and his friends to be safe.

Kurt finished prepping dinner with a smile on his face the whole time. When the stew was simmering on the stove, he took out his phone and credit card before going straight to the ticket website and buying his ticket. He knew it would take a significant chunk out of his bank account, but that didn't matter to him at that moment. When he received the confirmation email for the tickets, he took a screenshot and sent it to Mercedes and Rachel with the message 'I got my ticket!' Soon after both sent him the same message with their own pictures. The three started planning their trip as Kurt finished up dinner, and by the end of the night they had a solid view of what their day would be like the day of the concert.

(*)

A month and a half later, on the day of the concert, Kurt was pacing back and forth in his room, spinning his ring faster than he'd ever done before. His mind was overflowing with anxiety and fear, _'what if's_ ' running rampant and making him freak out about _everything_.

First, his outfit was all wrong. He'd picked it out the day he bought the tickets, and it had seemed like a wonderful choice, but now Kurt couldn't imagine himself going to possibly on of the most important events of his life in _that_. Second, he pictured everything in his mind going wrong. Someone would spill something on his clothes and ruin them, he'd see a jerk from school which would effectively ruin his night, he'd get there late to find someone in his seat and the only other ones would be in the quiet zone where no sound reached, and the list goes on. He groaned in frustration and threw himself onto the bed face first. Burt's head poked through the door to find him there a few minutes later.

"Everything alright, bud? Shouldn't you be heading out soon?" he asked, voice sounding concerned. Kurt groaned again and picked his head up from the nest of his arms.

"Don't remind me," he said simply before plopping his head back down. Burt was confused at his son's actions. Wasn't today supposed to be one of the best days of his life? Why was he so down all of the sudden? The past weeks have been full of the boy nearly bouncing off the walls with excitement, and he was counting down the hours before today.

Burt sat down on the edge of his son's bed and began to run his hand comfortingly over his back. "What's got you in a bad mood? Isn't today supposed to be happy?"

"Yes," was all the response he got, Kurt not even moving his head.

"Then what's with the sulking, kid? Seriously, if you want to make it their on time you need to get going soon."

Kurt grumbled and sat up facing his dad. "Everything just feels _wrong_ , dad. My outfit, my hair, _myself._ And I feel like everything is going to go wrong and my night is going to be terrible. I don't know what to do," he said miserably. Burt chuckled softly and shook his head.

"That, son, is just the nerves talking. You look great, and nothing is going to go wrong, I promise."

"Great, just what every kid wants, to be told be their dad that they look good," he murmured.

"Hey, don't get snappy with me, kid. I'm just trying to help." Kurt sighed. His dad was right, he was being a little bitchy.

"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't expect to feel this crappy before what's supposed to be one of the best nights of my life, and it's screwing me up," he said, playing with the hem of his shirt.

"I get it, Kurt. I felt like that the day I married your mother, which still turned out to be one of the best nights of _my_ life, and I promise, if anything goes wrong or you get upset there'll always be more concerts."

Kurt looked up to see the sincerity in his dad's eyes and he smiled. He wrapped his arms around the man's neck in a warm, comforting hug. "Thanks, dad," he smiled. Burt clapped his son on the back twice and smiled as well.

"That's what I'm here for, kid."

They drew away back from the embrace after a moment, and Kurt felt almost as if all his worries had disappeared with the comfort of his father's touch.

"Now," Burt began, "Let's get you ready, yeah?"

(*)

With his dad's help, Kurt was dressed and packed just in time to go pick up Rachel and Mercedes from the Berry household. On the car ride to the hotel, the three listened and sang along to the Warblers' songs, gearing up for the concert. They arrived at the hotel around 3 and checked into their room. After doing so, the three traded turns in the bathroom getting ready to leave for the venue. None of them wanted to travel in the clothes they would wear to the concert as there was too much risk of ruining them on the drive over.

For his outfit for the night, Kurt had gone with is original pant selection, a black pair of skinny jeans that looked painted on, but his shirt was changed out for a simple white Henley that he didn't care all that much about, just in case anything were to happen to it. He also had a jacket with him in case it got cold at any point in the night. He had his mother's ring switched over to his fourth finger so that it was tighter and he had a less chance of losing it. He almost didn't want to wear it at all, but he knew that the crowds would make him nervous and that he'd need it to ground him. His boots were a pair of Docs that he'd found at a thrift store for ten dollars. (Seriously, he knew that the people in Lima weren't the brightest, but Kurt expected them to at least recognize and couple hundred dollar pair of boots when they saw one.) They were a soft white leather that laced up in the front just past his ankle, and he thought they made his legs look even longer and all the more wonderful. Rachel and Mercedes both agreed that he looked hot, making him feel even more confident about his choices.

As Rachel and Mercedes helped each other do their makeup in the bathroom, Kurt filled his backpack with the things they would need to bring to the venue with them. He packed his phone and backup battery pack, water bottles, snacks, his wallet, car keys, his ticket, and his camera. He also had some of the girls' things in there with his since neither of them wanted to carry a purse and run the risk of getting it stolen. He'd also packed a small notebook and sharpie just in case he somehow managed to meet one of his idols. Even if he didn't, he could give the book to Rachel and Mercedes to take with them to the meet and greet.

Once everyone was ready to go, they left the hotel room and drove in Kurt's Navigator to the concert venue. They could see the line from almost half a mile away, and hoped that they'd get the seats they paid for. After waiting in line for almost an hour and talking with some of the other attendees, the three rushed in the hall when the doors finally opened and rushed to their seats before anyone else could steal them.

Once they had sat down and were able to catch their breaths, Kurt looked around the venue. The atmosphere of the concert hall was lively, excited, and full of energy. Kurt understood why people went to so many of these things; if he could feel like this all the time then he definitely would. Everything was loud, but it didn't bother him like he expected it to. He saw many different types of people in attendance, which made him smile and silently thank the Warblers for bringing such a diverse group of people together like this. Their seats were only six rows back, so they had a pretty good view, in his opinion. He'd be able to see and take pictures without difficulty, which he was so thankful for.

As they waited for everyone to get seated and the opening acts to come on, the three conversed about various things. Namely, what Rachel and Mercedes would say to the Warblers when they met them. Kurt was mostly quiet during that conversation, only giving input when he was questioned. He was glad that his friends were able to meet them, but he was still somewhat upset that he wouldn't be able to, despite what he'd told the girls before. He absently spun his ring while mindlessly gazing around the venue, not really listening to their conversation.

It didn't take very long after they'd sat down for the first opening act to come on stage. While they were very good, Kurt, Mercedes, and Rachel stayed in their seats, unlike many of the fans who had run up to the little strip of floor between the first row of seats and the stage. They wanted to save all of their energy for when the main act came on, which thankfully didn't take too long. The concert program told Kurt that the woman who was just up was the last to go on before the band, so the three maneuvered themselves to the gathering of people before her act was over so that they had a good spot in the crowd before everyone else realized who was coming on next.

The woman left, and before long the small arena was turned pitch black. Murmurs of excitement and anticipation traveled throughout the space as more people began moving up to the front. The aisles between rows of seats were quickly filled once the front was, and soon a chant of "Warblers, warblers, warblers," began to make it's way through the crowd. After what seemed like a lifetime of waiting, a single microphone stand lit up in bright LED of changing colors. Screams erupted from everywhere, and Kurt wasn't ashamed to say that he contributed to the noise.

One by one, the band members made their way on stage and into formation. Wes came first, followed by Sebastian, Nick, and then Jeff. The four were dressed in matching clothes, with their hands clasped in front of their bodies and their heads hung. Not a moment too soon, Blaine Anderson, front man for the Warbler's, stepped on to the stage and made his way to the microphone in the center of the stage. He matched his fellow band members in terms of clothes, but Kurt thought he worked the outfit best.

"What's up, Columbus?!" he screamed into the mic with a smile, eliciting hundreds of screams in response. Seeming pleased with the reaction, he tossed out an enthusiastic, "Let's get this party started!" before the mic stand was taken away by someone dressed in black. They jumped into an energetic version of one of their most popular covers, Teenage Dream, with (adorable, Kurt thought) choreography that had the boys jumping around the stage. Kurt's smile truly reached his eyes for the first time in a long time, and a long time it stayed.

The night progressed in a similar yet wonderful manner, he thought. The setlist was a great mix of their popular covers and their own songs that left the crowd wanting more and more. They slowed down around the middle with 'Not Alone' possibly one of Kurt's all time favorite songs after Girls/Girls/Boys. Blaine was left alone on stage with his guitar and a barstool. He sang a very soulful and heartfelt version that shook Kurt down to his core. He seemed to make eye contact with everyone in the building, just to make sure that they knew they were loved so _so_ much, even if they didn't realize it. (Kurt about fainted when the older man's eyes locked with his for what seemed like longer than everyone else, not gonna lie. )

In a few too short hours, the setlist was done with and the band (sadly) admitted that they had to go, but shouts of 'encore' after they left the stage brought them back for two songs before they really had to go back. Kurt was sad that the night was over so quickly for him when he truly didn't want it to be. Mercedes and Rachel took the things they wanted to bring with them to the meet and greet from Kurt's bag, including his notebook for autographs.

"I'm gonna go to the bathroom and then out to the car to wait for you guys," he said loudly over the noise of the dissipating crowd. Mercedes and Rachel both nodded in understanding before kissing him on the cheek. "Call me if you need me to come back inside," he called after them as they made their way backstage for the meet and greet. They turned around and gave him a thumbs up to show that they'd heard before continuing their trek backstage with a bounce in their steps.

The crowd disappeared rapidly once they realized everything was over. Kurt didn't want to leave, but one thing made him move quickly. He really, really had to use the bathroom. In his attempts to stay hydrated so that he didn't pass out, Kurt had drank three full water bottles in a few hours. He made his way to the bathrooms that he'd seen as he made his way to the seating area earlier, but a blind man could have seen that it could take a half an hour for that line to disappear, even for the men's room. Having no other choice at the moment, Kurt walked to the other end of the venue and slipped back through a door that was marked 'Employees Only'. He'd hoped to find some sort of lounge or break room, but he was met with a stretch of dark hallway instead. He continued walking though, not knowing what else to do. All the doors he'd checked were locked until he got to a portion of the hall that was lit up. He saw a huge man standing against the wall, and he figured he could ask the man where a bathroom was.

"Excuse me?" he said as soon as he got within earshot of the man. He looked alarmed at first and went to grab for his walkie, but Kurt stopped him before he could. "Is there a bathroom around here anywhere? I've tried every door but they're all locked and the one out front is full and I really, really have to use the bathroom," he rushed out. The man raised an eyebrow and folded his arms.

"You sure, kid? You're not trying to get into places you're not supposed to be, are you?" He seemed way too amused and Kurt vowed that if this guy didn't show him to a bathroom quick then he'd be soaking wet.

"I promise, please, just show me to a bathroom or there is going to be a puddle here for the janitors to clean up and I really don't think either of us want that," he spat. The man laughed and unfolded his arms. Kurt could tell that this man was a bodyguard of some sort, and that he appeared mean on the outside but was really a softie on the inside, much like his own father.

"Alright, just be quick about it," he laughed before unlocking the door he was standing in front of and gesturing for Kurt to go inside.

"Thank you!" Kurt yelled as he raced through the small room. He was too preoccupied to notice what room he seemed to be in, though. He quickly found the little bathroom inside the room and did his business to please the man guarding the door, a fact that hadn't truly settled in Kurt's mind yet. As he went to wash his hands, he slipped off his mother's ring and placed it on the counter next to the sink so that he didn't accidentally drop it down the drain. When he went to dry his hands off, the bathroom door opened and both people on either side of the threshold froze in place.

"Um…if-if you're here for Seb, he's next door," Blaine Anderson said awkwardly, pointing behind himself with his thumb. Kurt was frozen in place, mouth slightly agape and pulse hammering fast, until he'd heard his idol's voice.

"Why… why would I be looking for Sebastian?" he asked, not quite understanding where Blaine was going and far too star struck to even think about it.

"Y-you're not like, his flavor of the week, or something?" Blaine asked confusedly with an adorable twist to his face. Kurt's cheeks warmed once he realized what Blaine was implying and it didn't take long for him to start sputtering.

"No! No, god no," he laughed awkwardly. He finally tore his gaze from the man in front of him and continued drying his hands. When he looked back up, Blaine hadn't moved an inch.

"So… are you stalking me then?" he asked. Kurt's eyes blew wide and the accusation, and he quickly shook his head.

"No, no, no, I'm not-... No. I promise I'm not a stalker, I just _really_ had to use the bathroom," he admitted with an awkward laugh while throwing his paper towels in the bin. Blaine looked slightly confused still.

"Oh," he said simply. Kurt nodded and went to leave, but Blaine calling for him to wait stopped him. "How did you get Andre to let you in here, though? He's never let anyone into my dressing room before without talking to me about it beforehand."

"Oh," Kurt laughed. "I kinda threatened that if he didn't show me to a bathroom that there would be a mess for someone to clean up and he let me in. I had no idea that this was your dressing room though, so I'm sorry about that. I really don't mean to seem like a crazy stalker or something," he rushed out. He was surprised to hear Blaine chuckle at his response.

"No, no need to apologize. I completely understand human bodily functions. Which, if you don't mind, are beginning to make themselves known, if you know what I mean." Blaine laughed.

"Oh! Yeah, of course, sorry," Kurt said blushing. He was out the bathroom door in a flash, but before he could Blaine's voice stopped him again.

"Wait! Don't… please don't go yet," he called after Kurt's retreating form. Hand on the door knob, Kurt turned around with confusion written all over his face. Blaine tried to think of an excuse that wouldn't creep him out, but nothing came to mind, so he spoke with what he hoped was a pleading expression. "Please? Just for a minute? " He asked. He had no idea what compelled him to say those words; maybe it was the boy's sweet smile that had Blaine's heart fluttering, or the ease of their conversation and the fact that the boy obviously wasn't trying too hard and wasn't throwing himself at Blaine, but with just a few moments of conversation with him had Blaine captivated and wanting so much more.

Kurt stood shocked but nodded his head with a small smile. Blaine's face split into a huge grin seeing him agree to stay. "Awesome! I'll just be a minute, make yourself comfortable."

Kurt nodded wordlessly as Blaine disappeared into the bathroom. He took the time to take in the space around him. It was obviously a dressing room/lounge area for the performer. A comfortable looking black couch was pushed to one wall, with a glass coffee table a few feet away from it. On the other side of the room, a silver clothing rack stood, holding what appeared to be the clothes that Blaine had arrived in and another change of clothes. There was also a mini fridge and basket of snacks for the singer to enjoy before and after the performance. Blaine's items were strew across the room, a backpack on the floor, phone on the coffee table, face and hair products on the little vanity next to the rack of clothes.

His eyes continued to scan the room as he sat gingerly on the edge of the immensely comfy black couch. He sat there for a few minutes, taking the time to text his dad that he and the girls were okay and that the concert was over. It was late, but his dad responded back quickly with a simple 'Glad you enjoyed it. Get to the hotel safe and text me when you get there.' Kurt responded with his confirmation that he would just as Blaine came out of the bathroom before sitting next to him on the couch.

"Hi," he smiled softly. Kurt gazed up at him from under his eyelashes, suddenly very nervous and shy.

"H-hi," Kurt replied, matching Blaine's smile.

"What's your name?" Blaine asked politely.

"Kurt."

"Well, did you enjoy the show, Kurt?" Blaine asked.

Kurt nodded and his smile grew tenfold. "Yes," he said. "I've waited years to see you guys in person and this was… one of the best nights of my life," he laughed.

Blaine chuckled. "Years, huh? Most of our fans have found us in the last few months or so after we got that spot on Ellen," he said.

Kurt nodded sheepishly and ducked his head. "I've been a fan of yours since I heard your cover of 'Hey, Soul Sister' on the radio."

Blaine brew out a surprised breath. "You really mean years then," he said. "I can't even remember how long ago that was." He chuckled softly to himself before glancing down at the watch on his wrist. "Crap! I'm late for the Meet and Greet. Would you mind staying here and waiting for me to get back?" Blaine asked as he jumped up from the couch and ran over to the clothing rack on the other side of the room.

"S-sure," Kurt stuttered, stunned at the fact that he wanted him to wait. He watched Blaine as the man shed his sweaty shirt that he'd worn on stage and tossed it on the ground. As he thumbed through the rack looking for the shirt he wanted, Kurt admired the man's lean, muscled torso. He'd seen such a beauty in photos before, but he never would have thought he'd have the chance to see it in real life. He felt his mouth run dry as Blaine stretched his arms over his head, giving Kurt a perfect view of that delicious 'V' that travelled down into his pants. When Blaine turned back towards him, he flicked his eyes away, trying to make it look like he hadn't been staring.

"Um, feel free to make yourself at home," Blaine said as he gathered some things from around the room. "Take some snacks, water, whatever. I'll be back soon," he smiled.

"O-okay," Kurt whispered as Blaine left the room in a hurry. He stared at the closed door, wondering how on earth he wound up in this situation. He'd just wanted to go to the bathroom, but he ended up meeting his idol, who, for some reason, wanted him to stay so they could talk?

Confused but pleased, Kurt shook his head to clear his thoughts before taking out his phone. He'd received a few texts from Mercedes and Rachel with pictures and details from the Meet and Greet. He then looked through some of the pictures he'd taken both on his phone and with his camera. He smiled at the pictures; many of them were blurry or out of focus, especially those on his phone, but he knew they'd be great to look back at and remember the night.

Kurt had just finished up looking through the photos he'd taken when Blaine waltzed back in the room. As soon as his eyes landed on Kurt still sitting on the couch, his face lit up in a smile.

"Hey," he said, coming over and sitting next to Kurt on the couch.

"How was the meet and greet?" Kurt asked. "Any crazed fans have to be dragged out?"

Blaine chuckled. "No, thankfully. That only happens in the bigger cities."

Kurt laughed and shook his head. He couldn't imagine getting so worked up and emotional that he'd have to be escorted out of a room, but then again he wasn't a preteen girl.

He reached up to run his fingers through his hair, and in doing so unintentionally flashed his tattoo to Blaine.

"What's that?" Blaine asked, pointing to Kurt's wrist. Kurt blushed as he turned his wrist over to show it to the singer.

"You… you got our song lyrics tattooed on your wrist?" he asked in awe, voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah," Kurt smiled, rubbing his thumb over the newly healed ink. "This has… always sort have been a mantra for me ever since I first heard it. I-it's hard being the only out gay kid at my school, and whenever people would harass me for my sexuality, I always just repeated this in my head to remind myself that I'm valid and not a freak like they like to call me. Once I was able to, I got it tattooed because I know that I'm always going to be bullied and harassed about it, and I always want that reminder with me," Kurt explained. The words "love is not a choice" would always mean something to him, even if he didn't like the Warblers anymore. That's why he got it; to remind himself that he isn't weird or an outcast because of his sexuality seeing as how he has no control over it.

Blaine sat, mouth opening and closing as if he were trying to say something but couldn't get it out. Eventually, he choked out a "Kurt-" but the rest of his sentence was interrupted by Kurt's phone pinging with new messages.

 **From: Rachel (10:37)**

 _ **Where are you?**_

 **From: Mercedes (10:38)**

 _ **Are you alright? Where did you go?**_

Kurt momentarily panicked, realizing that his best friends were probably outside on their own waiting for him to drive them back to the hotel in a not-so-safe part of the city.. He had gotten so caught up talking with Blaine that he'd forgotten about his friends.

"I really have to go," Kurt said, jumping off the couch and putting his things back in his backpack. "My friends are waiting for me outside."

"Oh," Blaine said sadly, not wanting to let him go just yet. "Okay." He stood too and walked with Kurt to the door to his dressing room.

"It was really nice meeting you, Blaine," Kurt said with a smile.

"You too, Kurt," Blaine smiled back. "Thank you for coming tonight."

Kurt nodded. "Thank you for finally having a concert in range of my town," he laughed.

Blaine chuckled and nodded. "It was fun to play for a smaller crowd," he said. "And I'm glad I got to meet you."

Kurt blushed and ducked his head, not knowing what to say in response. "M-me too," he smiled. "Bye, Blaine." He opened the door and walked out, waving to Blaine as he did.

"Bye, Kurt," Blaine said with a wave of his own. He watched the teen's form retreat down the hallway, texting on his phone as he did. Blaine watched Kurt walk down the hallway until he disappeared behind a door and was out of view.

He then turned on his heel and walked back into his dressing room, a small smile on his face the whole time. He still had no idea what compelled him to want to talk to the teen, but now that he had, he didn't want to let him go. In just a few minutes of conversation, Blaine found he wanted to know everything about Kurt.

He thought this as he packed up his dressing room to leave the venue. They had to be out before closing and had to almost immediately get back on the road to head for their next tour stop, so Blaine tried to gather his things speedily. He finished in record time, all his things packed in their suitcases and sitting near the door. He did one more cursory sweep of the room to make sure he'd gotten everything, before checking the bathroom as well.

Only, in the bathroom, he did find something, but it certainly didn't belong to him. He picked up the small silver ring off the bathroom counter and held it up to eye-level to inspect it. It appeared to be a women's ring, Blaine thought, but he was sure the it had belonged to Kurt as he was the only other person who had been in that bathroom all day.

With this thought in mind, Blaine slipped the ring into his jeans pocket. It had been an hour or so since Kurt had left, so there was no way he would still be near the venue. He'd have to find another way to return the ring to Kurt, but as he thought this, Blaine realized that he hadn't even learned the boy's last name or where he lived, so returning it may be difficult.

Later that night when he was in bed on the tour bus, Blaine slipped the ring out of his pocket and turned it over in his fingers. He needed to keep it safe so that he could return it to Kurt, but it wouldn't fit on any of his fingers as it was too small. Instead, Blaine found an unused necklace chain in his things and slipped the ring onto it and then put the necklace around his neck for safekeeping.

As he fell asleep, Blaine formulated a plan in his mind to let Kurt know he had his ring and return it. An added bonus to this, Blaine thought, was that he was likely to see Kurt again. With that thought in mind, Blaine fell asleep with a soft smile on his face.

(*)

When Kurt reached his car, he was glad to see that both of the girls were there and were seemingly unharmed.

"I'm so sorry," he gasped out as he ran up to them. "I got caught up talking to someone."

Mercedes and Rachel shared a look that Kurt knew meant nothing good. True to his assumption, the two immediately started grilling him.

"Who was it?", "Was it a guy?", and "Was he cute?" among the questions Kurt could make out. He laughed and shook his head at their affectionate interrogating as he unlocked the car and got into the driver's seat. Mercedes and Rachel both sat in the back, Kurt's passenger seat already filled with their things. Once they got in, both leaned forward in their seats and stared at him, still waiting for answers.

Kurt sighed, knowing that they would keep pestering until he answered, and started driving back to the hotel. "Yes, it was a guy," he said. Both girls rightfully squealed happily before letting him continue. "And yes, he was cute." Kurt blushed as he said this. Blaine Anderson was not _cute_ , he was a living adonis. He wasn't going to tell them that it was Blaine that he spoke to, even though he knew he could trust them. It felt too personal, like something he should keep to himself for a while.

"Was he gay? What did you talk about?" Mercedes asked excitedly. Kurt glanced in his rear-view mirror at them and smiled.

"He was gay, yes. And we just talked about the Warblers and he asked about my tattoo."

"And then?"

"And then nothing. You guys texted me and I told him I had to go," Kurt said truthfully.

"Kurt!" Rachel exclaimed. "You could have told us to shove off and wait if you were talking to a cute guy! We wouldn't have minded."

Kurt sighed. "It doesn't matter," he said. "It's not like I'll ever see him again."

Mercedes and Rachel both frowned at this. He could have at least got the guy's number and kept talking to him. God knows that Kurt needed a boyfriend.

"Anyways, enough about that. How was the meet and greet?" Kurt asked, effectively changing the subject. Both girls immediately launched into a detailed explanation of what went on, but Kurt wasn't paying attention. Instead, he went over his own meeting with Blaine in his mind, still clueless as to why Blaine wanted to talk to him instead of throwing him out for being in his dressing room without permission.

When they got back to the hotel, all three changed into their pjs and fell into bed, ready to talk until the fell asleep. However, when Kurt went to twist his ring around his finger absently, he was surprised and shocked to find that it wasn't there. He jumped out of bed to look around the room and through his backpack for it, startling both Rachel and Mercedes out of a semi-sleep.

"Kurt?" Rachel whispered. "What's wrong?"

"I can't find it," he said, frantically searching through every piece of luggage he'd brought with him. It was for naught, however, as he knew he had it on at the concert hall so that's where he must have lost it.

"Can't find what, boo?" Mercedes asked sleepily.

"My ring," Kurt said as he stopped looking through his things. "My mom's ring. It's gone."

Even in the low light, both girls could see tears welling in Kurt's eyes. They both knew how much that ring meant to him, and both got out of bed to gather him into a group hug.

"Where did you last have it?" Rachel asked. "It's got to be somewhere."

"Th- the concert. I took it off to wash my hands," he whispered. "I must have left it there."

Mercedes withdrew from the group hug to find her phone. "I'll call the venue," she said, looking up the number. "They might have found it."

Kurt heard Mercedes start talking to someone over the phone as Rachel spoke up. "Don't worry, Kurt. We'll find it," she said.

Kurt sniffed and nodded his head. They had to find it; that ring was priceless to him. Just as Rachel withdrew from the hug to listen in on Mercedes' phone conversation, Kurt's own phone rang, the caller ID showing his father's number. He picked up his phone of the bedside table and hesitantly pressed the answer button.

"H-hello?" he greeted, trying to make his voice sound normal so his dad wouldn't suspect anything was wrong.

"Hey, bud. You guys get back to the hotel yet?" Burt asked.

"Yes, we got here a little bit ago," Kurt said simply, not caring to elaborate.

Burt was silent for a long, tense moment before questioning Kurt. "Is something wrong, bud? You don't sound as happy as I expected you to after your first Warbler's concert."

"I'm fine," Kurt said, voice clipped. As soon as he said it, he knew it was a mistake as his father automatically picked up on it.

"You're not fine," Burt said. "What happened? Are you guys all okay?"

"We're fine, dad," Kurt said before sighing. "I… I lost mom's ring at the concert," he whispered, sitting down on the bed.

Burt sighed too, but he didn't seem as upset as Kurt. "I'm glad you're okay. Have you called the venue yet to see if they had it?" he asked.

"Mercedes called," he said, looking up at the girls. The simultaneous shaking of their head told him that the people at the concert hall hadn't found his ring. "They don't have it," he sighed.

"Well, bud, the only thing you can do is go back there and look for it or just wait for it to turn up in your bag," Burt said, trying to help his son.

"I tore my bag apart already, and it's not there," Kurt said. "The venue's closing soon anyways."

"I'm sure they'd let you stay to look for it," Burt said.

"We'll try," Kurt confirmed, trying to cut the conversation short so that they could head out. "I'll call you later to let you know if we found it."

"Alright, bud. You be safe," Burt said.

"Bye," Kurt said before hanging up. The girls had already gotten the message and were in the process of changing their clothes back so they could head over the the concert venue as quickly as possible. Kurt changed in record time and soon enough the three were in the car on the road to downtown. It was later at night, so thankfully the roads were clearer and Kurt could speed a little. He checked his clock and saw that the venue was just closing as he pulled into a parking space.

The three friends raced to the door, only to find it locked when they arrived. They knocked on the glass door repeatedly until a janitor came to unlock it with a disgruntled look on his face.

"You kids need to leave," he grunted, pointing out to the street with his broom handle.

"Please," Kurt pleaded, putting a hand on the door to stop the man from closing it. "I lost my mother's ring here earlier tonight and I need to find it."

The janitor sighed but held the door open. "Go ahead, but don't mess with anything. I can give you twenty minutes before you have to get out of here," he said.

All three exclaimed a "Thank you!" as they raced through the door to start looking. They split up to look for it, Mercedes and Rachel looking near their seats and Kurt looking in the hallway where he'd travelled to find a bathroom earlier in the night. Once he knew he was out of eyesight of the girls, he immediately headed to the dressing room that Blaine had used, knowing that that was where he took off the ring. He found the door was thankfully unlocked and hurried over to the little bathroom. He opened the door and flipped on the light to find… nothing. His ring wasn't in there.

Kurt stood in the doorway, mouth open slightly in shock. He knew that the ring was there earlier. He'd played his and Blaine's meeting over and over in his head in the hours since then, and he was certain that he'd taken off his ring to wash his hands. He inspected the rest of the bathroom, thinking maybe it had fallen onto the floor or in the sink, but still came up with nothing.

He sighed and sat on the couch in the dressing room, holding his head in his hands. Where could the ring have gone? The venue had said that they hadn't found it when Mercedes called earlier, so no janitor found it and turned it in. But if they hadn't found it and it wasn't there, where did it go? Blaine certainly wouldn't have taken it… would he?

Kurt shook his head. Blaine probably would have turned it in to the venue if he'd found it. Kurt sighed, knowing that his ring was nowhere to be found within the venue, and hoped his father was right that it would turn up soon.

(*)

However, a week later, Kurt's ring still hadn't turned up. They'd called the venue multiple times over the week, but they always gave the same answer. They always told him that he must have lost it somewhere else or someone found it and didn't turn it in.

Rachel felt incredibly bad for her friend; she knew how much his mother meant to him and that losing that ring killed him inside. There was no other ring like it, and even if he'd had another one made, it wouldn't be the same in anyway.

She was trying to think of ways to make Kurt feel better in study hall about a week after the concert when her thoughts were interrupted when her phone pinged with a youtube notification telling her that a new interview with Blaine Anderson had been posted. Rachel dropped what she was doing and clicked on the link, putting in her headphones so that she could listen to it.

" _I'm here today with Blaine Anderson, front man for the popular band The Warblers. How have you been recently, Blaine?"_

" _Really good. This tour has been really fun and all the fans have been so great. We're grateful to be back on tour and seeing all of your lovely faces everyday."_

" _That's great. And what about your personal life? Anything interesting going on there?"_

" _No," Blaine laughed. "I'm as boring as ever, really. Nothing new or interesting to talk about right now."_

" _I'm sorry to hear that, as I'm sure all of your fans are too," the interviewer laughed. "Can you tell us about the new music that you and the rest of the band keep teasing about on Twitter?"_

" _Well, it's still all a secret right now, but we're in the middle of writing and recording our next album. We're still working on it everyday on tour, and we really like what we have so far, and I hope the fans will to. The new music combines our older style with a newer spin on it that we're finding really refreshing. That's all I can say about it now, but it should be released for pre-order some time in the next few months."_

" _I think it's safe to say that all your fans, myself included, are excited for this new album. Now, I want to talk about something that fans have been grilling you about on Twitter for the past week or so," the interviewer said. Blaine blushed slightly, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Tell me about this ring you've been wearing around your neck. Is it from someone special?"_

" _You… you could say that," Blaine said, fingering the ring and showing it off to the camera._ Rachel was transfixed on the ring, staring at the blurry picture on her phone screen. It was a stretch, but the ring looked suspiciously like her best friend's. _"It isn't mine nor was it given to me. It's a fan's ring, I'm pretty sure. I found it after the concert in Columbus, and I'm pretty certain I know who it belongs to."_

" _Oh? And who would this be?"_

" _Uh," Blaine hesitated, not wanting to talk about Kurt on public television without his permission. He decided to anyways, hoping that Kurt would see it and contact him. "His name is Kurt," Blaine said._ Rachel gasped out loud, drawing the attention of the students around her. _"And he lives near Columbus. That's all I know about him, but I hope to return this to him soon."_

Rachel paused the video and gaped down at her phone. Kurt met Blaine Anderson and didn't tell her? She forwent watching the rest of the video to send the link to Kurt and Mercedes with the message ' _ **?!**_ '

A few minutes later a text came through from Mercedes, saying ' **You best explain, white boy.'**

Kurt's response to either of them didn't come until almost the end of the period. It said, ' **Meet me in the auditorium after school and I'll explain.'**

Mercedes and Rachel both texted him, trying to understand, but Kurt's end was silent and he didn't send anything back for the rest of the day.

(*)

When Kurt got to the auditorium after school, Mercedes and Rachel were both already on the stage waiting for him. As he walked up to them, the sound of his footsteps hitting the floor echoed through the room, but otherwise everything was silent. After a tense moment of silence between the three, Rachel broke her resolve and started asking Kurt questions.

"Did you really meet Blaine Anderson and not tell us?" was her first question, voice sounding somewhat hurt.

"I-" Kurt started, unable to come up with something to say.

"Why don't you just tell us what happened so we can understand this better," Mercedes prompted.

"It was an accident, really," Kurt began. "After you guys left to go to the meet and greet I had to go to them bathroom but all the public ones were really busy so I looked for a different one. I found this door marked 'employees only' and figured they must have had one back there. But they didn't, at least not one that I could find, but I did come across a man standing by a door. I asked him where the nearest bathroom was and he let me go in the room he was guarding, which just happened to be Blaine's dressing room."

"And then?" Rachel prompted after Kurt paused for a moment.

"And then we just got to talking, I guess. He left to go to the meet and greet but asked me to stay until he got back," Kurt said, prompting small squeals of joy out of the girls. "We talked for a few minutes after the meet and greet, and then you guys texted me and I left."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Mercedes asked, voice soft. "We could have kept a secret if that's what you were worried about, boo."

"I know that, I just… I wanted to keep it to myself, for a while. I would've told you guys eventually, I promise," Kurt said with a small smile.

"Well, I'm glad you ended up getting to meet him," Rachel smiled. "I know what his music and his work means to you."

"We didn't even get to talk much, but he was so much more than I ever imagined. I still can't believe he actually wanted to talk to me," he laughed.

"You should! You're amazing, Kurt, and obviously Blaine saw that," Mercedes insisted. Kurt shrugged but smiled.

"So are you going to talk to him and get your mother's ring back?" Rachel asked. "He said in the interview that he wants to return it to you."

"Yes, I'm definitely going to get my ring back," Kurt confirmed with a nod. "I guess I'll just have to DM him on twitter or something so he can get it back to me."

Mercedes and Rachel both nodded in agreement; that was probably the easiest if not the only way for Kurt to talk to Blaine and have the singer return his mother's ring to him.

"You should do it soon," Rachel said. "There's no telling how many people will claim to be you so that they can just talk to him."

"You're right," Kurt nodded. "I'll message him as soon as I get home."

True to his word, Kurt drafted a twitter DM to Blaine as soon as he got home an hour or so later. The girls continued to ask him questions about his meeting with Blaine that he was happy to answer, feeling a weight lift off his chest as he did so.

After reading and re-reading his message to Blaine, Kurt sent it and hoped for the best.

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _Hey Blaine! It's Kurt from Columbus. I saw your interview and figured I should go ahead and ask for my ring back._

He received a reply a few minutes later.

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _Can you prove to me it's you? You have no idea how many people have sent me this same exact message since that interview was posted._

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _Of course. I figured something like that would happen. Umm...We met in the bathroom of your dressing room and you thought I was Sebastian's 'flavor of the week' I think your words were._

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _Haha, I'm so sorry I said that! I didn't mean to say you looked like a prostitute or anything, but the rest of us are just used to random guys hanging around because of Seb._

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _No harm done, don't worry about it. So, about the ring. I'd really like to get it back soon. It was my mother's and I know it sounds silly, but I kinda feel lost without it. :/_

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _It's not silly, Kurt. I understand. Is there anywhere we could meet so I could give it back to you?_

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _I could just give you my address and you could mail it to me instead of trying to figure out a time and place to meet with you being on tour. I don't want you to have to take a detour just to return a ring to a fan._

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _I thought about that, but I don't want it to get lost in the mail or anything and, honestly, I just want an excuse to see you again._

Kurt sat at his desk, staring at the last message Blaine had sent him, eyes wide and mouth agape. Blaine Anderson wanted to see him again?!

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _You… you want to see me again?_

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _I really do, Kurt. I know we only talked for a few minutes, but I want to know everything about you._

Kurt didn't reply for a while, unable to think of a reply to that. Of course he wanted to see Blaine again, but he never thought that the singer would want to see him again. He was probably just another face in an endless sea of faces that Blaine saw everyday, so why him? Why was Blaine so interested in him?

He sent screenshots of the conversation to Rachel and Mercedes, asking what he should say next. Both girls' replies had Kurt laughing, knowing that they were both probably freaking out about it. After they had time to calm down, Rachel sent Kurt a helpful text.

 **From: Rachel (4:32)**

 _ **You know, if you're willing to wait until then, the Warblers are having a show in New York at the same time we'll be at Nationals. You guys could meet up then.**_

Kurt thought it over, and decided that it would be a good idea. That way, neither of them would have to go far out of their way. He relayed this to Blaine a little while later.

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _I'd like to see you again, too. I have an idea of when and where we can._

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _Where?_

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _I will just happen to be in NYC at the same time as you will for the National show choir competition that's being held there in a month or so. We could meet up there if you're okay with that._

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _You sing?_

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _Yes. I actually discovered your music on the bus to a show choir competition when I was a sophomore._

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _I bet your voice is beautiful, Kurt._

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _Stop, you're making me blush /)u(\_

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _I bet that's beautiful, too._

Kurt couldn't believe what he was reading, face redder than a tomato. Was Blaine Anderson actually _flirting_ with him? In what alternate universe was that possible? Kurt must have taken too long to reply, as a little while later, Blaine sent him another message.

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _I'm sorry, Kurt. Was that too much?_

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _No! You're fine, I just had no idea what to say to that. No one's ever flirted with me or told me something about me is beautiful._

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _Well they should, 'cause it's true._

 **KurtHummel to WarblerBlaine**

 _You know, you're pretty beautiful yourself Blaine Warbler._

 **WarblerBlaine to KurtHummel**

 _:D_

After that, their conversation pretty much tapered off as Blaine said he had soundcheck to do before a concert that night. Kurt spent much of his night re-reading the conversation with a small smile. If you would have told him a month ago that Blaine Anderson would be calling him beautiful, Kurt would've had you committed. But it was happening, and he had no idea why. When he looked at himself in the mirror, Kurt didn't understand what Blaine saw. Sure he had his mother's pretty blue eyes, but other than that he thought himself average looking, to say the least. Mercedes and Rachel said otherwise, but honestly he still didn't see what Blaine did. What ever he saw, Blaine was interested in him, and Kurt couldn't be happier.

(*)

Blaine couldn't be happier. He'd finally found the real Kurt and was able to talk to him. After the interview he'd done had gone live, countless fangirls (and boys) messaged Blaine claiming to be Kurt just so that they would get a chance to talk to him. Blaine loved talking to his fans, but when they were trying to be someone they're not, Blaine got a little fed up. He knew it wasn't the same, but it reminded him of himself pretending to be straight so that he could get a chance to record music.

Still, he was glad the Kurt finally messaged him about the interview. Of course he wanted to get Kurt's mother's ring back to him, but what he was really excited for was seeing Kurt again in person. Talking to him through twitter messages was all fine and dandy, but Blaine missed seeing his stunning face and hearing his beautiful voice. Even though they'd only had a real conversation for less than five minutes, these things occupied Blaine's mind day and night since they first met.

The rest of the Warblers seemed to notice this too, and when he was in his dressing room sending one last message to Kurt to let him know that he had a soundcheck to go to, Jeff and Nick came into the room and saw him texting with a smile on his face.

"Who ya texting, Blainers?" Jeff asked in a singsong voice, looking over Blaine's shoulder to his phone.

"Kurt," Blaine simply said without looking up at them.

"You finally found the real guy?" Nick asked. "Are you sure this one isn't an imposter too?" 

"Yes, I'm sure it's him," Blaine replied before turning off his phone and looking up at his friends. "He knew what I said to him when we met, so I know it's him."

"Good," Nick said, "I'm glad."

"When are you going to give him his ring back?" Jeff asked, pointing to the ring on the necklace Blaine had taken to wearing around his neck.

"He has a competition in New York at the same time that we'll be there, so we agreed on that," Blaine informed them. "I can't wait. It seems so far away."

"It's only… what? A month and a half away? That will pass in no time," Nick said.

Blaine sighed. "I know, I just really want to see him again. You guys obviously didn't get to meet him, but he has to be the single most interesting person I've ever met."

"Aw, Blainers is falling in love!" Jeff said playfully with his hands over his heart. He fake sniffed and wiped a tear from his eye. "They grow up so fast," he told Nick.

Nick shook his head and chuckled at the energetic blond. "Come on, we're let for sound check," he said. Blaine and Jeff followed him out the door and to the stage that they'd be playing on that night, Blaine all the while thinking of Kurt and when they would see each other next.

(*)

For the next month, Blaine and Kurt continued to message each other, eventually moving from twitter to texting. Blaine almost always initiated a conversation, but Kurt was more than happy to partake. He'd never started a conversation, feeling like he'd seem eager or something like that to the singer. However, Kurt couldn't help himself one time a few weeks before Nationals.

The day started out regularly enough; he went to school and class as normal, and he went to glee after school like he did everyday. He sat at the top of the risers, scrolling through twitter absently. He didn't pay attention when Mr. Schuester walked in until the man said something that he'd never thought he'd hear from his mouth.

"Alright guys, so… Nationals! We only have a few weeks to prepare, but this year I want to try something different," he started. Kurt looked up at this, hoping that "different" meant someone besides Rachel and Finn would get to sing. Not that he didn't like them, but those two hogged the solos constantly, and frankly he was getting tired of it.

"So, since this will be the last competition for many of you, I wanted to give you all a chance to show what you're made of. I want to showcase some of our underutilized voices at Nationals this year. So...drum roll please." Kurt rolled his eyes but continued to listen. "Mercedes, Santana, and Kurt, you three will all have solos this year in addition to the group song."

As fights and arguments broke out around him, Kurt sat shell shocked at hearing his name be called. It was true that he'd never had a true solo at a competition, but he didn't think Mr. Schue would have wanted him to sing seeing as how he obviously thought it was too feminine and… different and that they wouldn't win a competition with it.

He ignored the commotion around himself as he thought of all the possible songs he could sing for Nationals. Schue would probably give him something to sing, but on the off chance that he'd let Kurt pick, the teen compiled a list in his head of things he could do on such short notice.

When they were dismissed for the day, the first thing Kurt wanted to do was share the news with someone, and everyone that he'd share this kind of news with already knew, so his next obvious choice was Blaine. Without thinking about it, Kurt pulled up Blaine's contact and called him as he sat in his car in the school parking lot. He listened to the dial tone ring for a few moments until Blaine finally picked up.

"Kurt?" he asked.

"I got a solo!" Kurt exclaimed in lieu of greeting.

"Kurt! That's great! Are you going to sing at Nationals then?" Blaine asked, excitement for his friend evident in his voice.

"Yes!" Kurt said, still in disbelief. "Oh god, I've never done this before. What if I suck?" he asked, nerves suddenly appearing.

"You won't suck, Kurt. I'm sure your voice sounds wonderful."

"I have no idea what I'm even going to be singing and Nationals is in three weeks," he laughed.

"So you just go this news?" Blaine asked. "Shouldn't you have been preparing months ago?"

"Probably, yes, but my teacher loves to wing competitions. There was one time we even chose the songs and dances we did about an hour before we went on stage," Kurt said.

"Jesus, that sounds terrible," Blaine laughed. "When I was in show choir, we always planned months in advance, even if it was for an 'impromptu' hallway performance."

"You had impromptu hallway performances and you didn't get shoed?" Kurt asked.

"Shoed?" Blaine asked confusedly.

"Mmm, yes. When we went Christmas caroling around the school, they threw shoes at us. Well, the teachers threw their shoes at us, the students just booed and threw other things."

"Oh my god," Blaine laughed.

"I know. We haven't had an performances in school since," he laughed and shook his head.

"Well I'm sure you won't get shoed at Nationals, if that helps."

"I think so," Kurt laughed. "I still can't believe I actually got a solo. My teacher doesn't think my voice is 'lead male' material or even 'male' material for that matter. He tries to be accepting, but you can tell he doesn't appreciate my voice like he should."

"I'm sorry, Kurt. That must be hard." He paused. "Just curious, if he doesn't like your voice, why did he give you a solo?"

"I think it's 'cause he feels guilty that a lot of us seniors have never had a solo at competition and wants to give us that chance, even it means we'll lose."

"If it helps, I think you might actually win by giving you a solo. The judges will probably be expecting the normal soloists, but this gives you an edge, especially since you're a countertenor. That's really rare and might surprise the judges," Blaine said.

"Mmm, maybe. I guess we'll find out soon enough," Kurt sighed. "I just have to figure out what to sing now."

"If you need any advice on song choice, let me know," Blaine said. "I have a lot of experience with show choir competitions, so if you want me to help I will."

"Thank you, Blaine. I'll be sure to let you know. I think I'm just gonna go to Between the Sheets and see what I can find," Kurt said.

"Alright, I'll let you go then. I have to get going too. The bus is leaving for the next stop soon and I need to finish packing."

"Okay. Bye, Blaine," Kurt smiled.

"Bye Kurt. It was nice to hear your voice again," Blaine said, causing Kurt to blush furiously.

"Y-you too," he said. "Bye." He smiled as he hung up the phone before starting his car and driving out of the parking lot.

Kurt's first stop would be to the Lima Bean to grab some coffee, and after that he would go to the sheet music store Between the Sheets to hopefully find something he could sing on such short notice. He couldn't stop smiling the entire drive, still in disbelief that he finally got a competition solo.

Kurt went through the driveway at the Lima Bean and ordered his Nonfat Mocha, trying to save time so that once he found the right piece, he could start practising it right away. His solo needed to be absolutely perfect if they wanted to have a chance at winning Nationals.

As he pulled up to the music store, he finished off his coffee before getting out of the car. He walked into the store, immediately losing himself in the familiar atmosphere. It was an odd store, to say the least, but he loved it. There was sheet music ranging from Broadway and top 40's to dad rock and hair bands. The store itself always smelled like old books and paper, but was exceptionally clean and organized. There was always soft music playing, either on the radio or live performances.

Kurt headed back to his favorite section of the store, the broadway music. He figured that was his best bet for finding the right song as he knew many by heart and could do them in a pinch for competition. As he thumbed through the music, not finding anything that really appealed to him, the radio changed songs. Kurt smiled as he heard it, automatically recognizing it as one of his favorite Warblers songs, "Not Alone". He sang along under his breath as he moved through the section.

It wasn't until another person joined him in the isle that he realized he was singing along. He blushed and stopped, but a thought occurred to him. He knew every single Warblers song by heart and could sing any of them at the drop of a hat, even more so than he could his favorite Broadway songs. That was what he was looking for for the right song, so after leaving the Broadway section, he made his way to the pop area to look for Warblers sheet music. It didn't take long as everything was alphabetized and organized, and he chose the song he wanted with ease.

Taking his selection to the register to buy it, he drafted a text to Blaine.

 **To: Blaine (4:54)**

 _ **I think I found the perfect song. :)**_

He didn't receive a reply until he'd payed and was in his car getting ready to go.

 **To: Kurt (5:00)**

 _ **That's great! What did you pick?**_

 **To: Blaine (5:01)**

 _ **You'll have to wait and find out ;)**_

(*)

Kurt and the glee club spent the next few weeks preparing for Nationals. Mercedes and Santana had chosen to do a duet of "River Deep, Mountain High" instead of doing two solos as their voices sounded great together and they wanted to use that fact to their advantage. Kurt stuck with his choice of song, and the group song - featuring Rachel and Finn on lead, obviously - was "Don't Stop Believin'". Some of the group (read: Kurt ) had groaned upon hearing this, but Mr. Schue seemed to be sticking with his theme of giving the seniors the spotlight, and since that was the first song they ever did together, he thought it would only be fitting for it to be the last one as well. They even planned their costumes around the song, red dresses for the girls and red shirts for the boys. They tossed the idea of wearing jeans and converse as that didn't seem professional enough for a National competition, but the red was enough for everybody anyway.

After arriving in New York the night before the competition, the glee club spent a lot of their time exploring the city of their dreams and probably not enough time rehearsing. They passed by the venue that the competition would be held at, and Kurt stopped to take a picture for his twitter.

 **KurtHummel:**

 **Can't wait for tomorrow! Nationals, here we come!**

 **(image)**

Surprisingly enough, when Kurt and the rest of the club returned to the hotel room, Kurt saw that someone had replied to his tweet from earlier.

 **BlaineWarbler:**

 **KurtHummel Good luck! Can't wait to see you afterwards!**

Despite his nerves for the day to come, Kurt fell asleep with a grin on his face.

(*)

Blaine, Nick, Jeff, and Wes arrived at the competition a little late; they had tried as hard as possible to go incognito so that they wouldn't take attention away from the choirs, but they were stopped frequently on their way to there for pictures and autographs. None of them minded interacting with their fans, in fact they loved it, but they hated that they were late.

When they arrived, they were each handed a program and shown their seats while the third choir of the day was performing. Blaine looked in the program to find out when New Directions were performing, and was thankful to find that they were going third from last, meaning he hadn't missed them yet and he had some time until they were going to come on. Blaine relayed this information to the rest of the guys, who then sighed in relief and got up to find snacks and a bathroom, leaving Blaine to watch the choirs perform by himself for awhile. He sat back, relaxed, and waited for Kurt and his choir to come on.

(*)

In the green room, the same could not be said about Kurt Hummel. He was pacing back and forth through the room, wringing his hands and thinking of all the things that could go wrong. They were due to go on stage in thirty minutes, and Kurt felt the most unprepared for a competition than he ever had before. It was irrational, he knew, but he couldn't shake the fear. This was his first and only competition solo, and he was terrified that he was going to screw it up.

"Kurt," Mercedes said as she stepped in his path and held his shoulders to stop him. "You need to calm down, boo. Everything is going to be fine."

"But-"

"Not buts," Rachel said with her hands on her hips. "You can sing this song in your sleep. You've been practicing it for weeks, and you've sounded fantastic every time. You're not going to mess up."

Kurt sighed and moved to sit down. "I know… it's just… I _can't_ mess this up. It's too important to me and to the rest of you guys."

"And we have full faith that you'll do great," Mercedes said, sitting down next to Kurt. "Okay?"

"Okay," Kurt smiled. "Thank you."

They sat on the couch talking until they were called backstage. When they got there, the choir ahead of them was just finishing up. Kurt was at the front of the group since his solo was first and he had to be on stage before anyone else. From his view point, he could see hundreds of people packed into the audience. Upon seeing this, his anxiety came back full force, making his mouth dry up and his heart beat rapidly.

Knowing he needed to stop looking, he turned back around the face the rest of the glee club. Mr. Schue suddenly appeared backstage from where he was watching in the audience.

"Well guys, there have been some great performances so far, but I think we can knock 'em out of the park," he said. "Kurt, you ready?"

Kurt nodded minutely just as the other choir left the stage. When he heard the announcement of "And now, from Lima, Ohio, the McKinley High New Directions!" he sucked in a deep breath and walked out onto center stage.

(*)

When Blaine heard the announcement for the New Directions, he sat up in his seat and paid full attention to the stage. The guys had come back by that point and did the same once they noticed Blaine doing it.

Blaine held his breath as Kurt walked on stage. Even from their seats far away from the stage, Blaine could tell that the teen looked stunning, even more beautiful than he remembered. Once Kurt stopped at center stage, he stood tall at the microphone as he waited for the music to come on. When it did, Blaine and the rest of the Warblers were shocked to hear that it was their own music. On his cue, Kurt opened his mouth to sing, and Blaine was captivated by his voice.

 _I've been alone  
Surrounded by darkness  
I've seen how heartless  
The world can be_

 _I've seen you crying  
You felt like it's hopeless  
I'll always do my best  
To make you see_

 _Baby, you're not alone  
'Cause you're here with me  
And nothing's ever gonna bring us down  
'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you  
And you know it's true  
It don't matter what'll come to be  
Our love is all we need to make it through…_

When a curtain rose behind Kurt, revealing the rest of the New Directions beginning to sing as back up, Blaine barely took notice, too enthralled by Kurt. He sat on the edge of his seat, eyes wide and delighted.

 _Now I know it ain't easy  
But it ain't hard trying  
Everytime I see you smiling  
And I feel you so close to me...  
And you tell me:_

 _Baby, you're not alone  
'Cause you're here with me  
And nothing's ever gonna bring us down  
'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you  
And you know it's true  
It don't matter what'll come to be  
Our love is all we need to make it through..._

 _I still have trouble  
I trip and stumble  
Trying to make sense of things sometimes..._

 _I look for reasons  
But I don't need 'em  
All I need is to look in your eyes  
And I realize..._

 _Baby, I'm not alone  
'Cause you're here with me  
And nothing's ever gonna take us down  
'Cause nothing can keep me from lovin' you  
And you know it's true  
It don't matter what'll come to be  
Our love is all we need to make it through..._

 _Oh, 'cause you're here with me  
And nothing's ever gonna bring us down  
Cause nothing, nothing, nothing  
Can keep me from lovin' you  
And you know it's true  
It don't matter what'll come to be  
You know our love is all we need_

 _Our love is all we need  
To make it through..._

Blaine was the first one out of his seat clapping and whistling for Kurt. The rest of the Warblers followed suit, and soon enough the whole audience was on their feet applauding the countertenor. Kurt's face was a mixture of shock and delight as he bowed slightly before waving to the audience and joining the rest of his choir on the risers. The applause died down as two girls took the place Kurt was before.

Throughout the next two New Directions performances, Blaine never paid much attention to the song or who was signing, his eyes on Kurt the whole time. When the group took their final bows before heading backstage, Blaine was up out of his seat, trying to find a way back there so he could see Kurt as soon as possible.

(*)

As soon as they were backstage and out of sight of the audience, the New Directions started celebrating. They hadn't won yet, but their performances were better than they ever had been. They all hugged each other and gave Kurt numerous pats on the back for his fantastic solo. Kurt was in the middle of a group hug with Rachel and Mercedes when they started hearing whispers among the people backstage.

Namely, ones like "Is that Blaine Anderson?" and "What is he doing here?"

Kurt broke away from the hug when he heard this, looking around for the subject of everybody's whispers. He found the singer soon enough, striding towards their group. He locked eyes with Kurt and instantly smiled at the boy before waving to him.

"Hi," Blaine said as he came up to Kurt, to many of the New Directions surprise and confusion.

"Hey," Kurt replied with a smile. "You came."

"Of course I came. I wanted to hear you sing," Blaine smiled.

"And?" Kurt asked. "What did you think?"

"I think… you have the most beautiful voice I've ever heard, Kurt."

Kurt blushed and dropped his head to look at the floor. "Stop it," he said.

"I'm serious," Blaine said, lifting Kurt's chin with his thumb and forefinger. "I wouldn't be surprised if you guys won just based on your performance alone."

Kurt blushed even deeper but smiled. "Thanks," he whispered. They stared into each other's eyes for an intense moment, only to be interrupted by Mr. Schue clearing his throat next to them. At this, Blaine dropped his hand and backed away from Kurt a step or two.

"Kurt? Do you want to introduce me to your friend?" he asked, not so much as a question but more of a demand.

"Oh, um… Mr. Schue, this is Blaine Anderson. Blaine, this is my glee club instructor," Kurt said as the two men shook hands.

"And may I ask why Blaine is backstage where he shouldn't be?" Mr. Schuester asked, arms crossed.

"Oh, um-"

"That's my fault, sir. I wanted to see Kurt to congratulate him on a job well done as soon as possible. I didn't know I wasn't supposed to be back here," Blaine said.

"Hmm. Well, Kurt, the rest of us are going to go back to the green room to wait for results. Feel free to join us when you're done talking with your friend," he said before gesturing to the still open-mouthed and wide-eyed New Directions to follow him back to their room.

Once they were gone, Blaine asked Kurt, "Do you know if there's somewhere more quiet and less crowded that we could go to talk?"

Kurt simply nodded before taking Blaine's hand in his own and guiding him down a hallway. Kurt led them to a door in a dark area of the hall before opening said door and leading them inside. He flicked on the lights before closing the door and turning back to Blaine.

"I found this place earlier when I was looking for a bathroom," he explained.

"You always seem to find the wrong room when you're looking for a bathroom," Blaine laughed, smiling down at their still clasped hands.

Kurt chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so. It seems to have worked out in my favor thus far, though."

"That it has," Blaine agreed. "Speaking of," he dropped their hands to take a chain off his neck. "I believe this is yours." He placed the chain and attached ring into Kurt's open palm. Kurt stared down at it, grateful that he finally had it back and never wanting to take his eyes off it again.

"Thank you," he whispered. "You have no idea how hard it's been without this. I can't imagine what it would have been like if you hadn't found it."

"Well thankfully you'll never have to find out," Blaine said. Kurt nodded before slipping the ring and chain into his pocket for safekeeping.

When Kurt looked up, he locked eyes with Blaine, who seemed a lot closer than he was a few seconds ago. He watched as Blaine's eyes flicked down to his lips for a split second before meeting his gaze again. Kurt licked his lips absently as they gravitated towards each other until their chests touched.

"Kurt…" Blaine breathed, arms moving to wrap around Kurt's waist. Kurt responded by wrapping his own arms around Blaine's neck, their bodies completely flush against one another. "Can I kiss you?" Blaine whispered, lips a hair's breadth away from Kurt's. Kurt's small nod was all the permission Blaine needed as he ducked down and pressed his lips against Kurt's.

Their lips met like they'd been doing it for years; There was no awkward repositioning, no clacking teeth, and their lips melded together effortlessly. Blaine captured Kurt's top lip between his own, sucking softly on the muscle. Kurt readily let Blaine control the kiss, but he still pushed back with as much force and vigor as the singer. Sparks erupted in both men, sending delightful chills down their spines.

Kurt was the first one to (reluctantly) pull away, only because his phone was blowing up in his pocket. Blaine frowned slightly when Kurt pulled out his phone. "What is it?" he asked. "Is everything alright?"

Kurt read through his texts, unable to form words. "We… we won," he whispered in awe. "We won Nationals."

Blaine smiled wide before drawing Kurt into a hug. "I knew you'd do it," he whispered in Kurt's ear. "I'm so proud of you, Kurt."

When they pulled away, Kurt's face was warm with blush, but he smiled at Blaine nonetheless. "Thanks," he smiled. "I should head out there. I need to be on stage when they give us the trophy."

"Of course," Blaine nodded, stepping back and letting Kurt smooth out his clothes. He didn't move to leave, however, and stood in the same spot, wringing his hands and trying to find the words he wanted to say.

"What is it?" Blaine asked after noticing Kurt's hesitance.

"I just… W-what are we?" Kurt asked quietly.

"Whatever you want us to be," Blaine said, taking Kurt's hands in his own. "Personally, I want to be with you, no matter what anyone else thinks."

"Y-You want to be with me?" Kurt stuttered, looking into Blaine's eyes.

"Of course, Kurt. I have since the moment I first laid eyes on you in that dressing room in Columbus. You're beautiful, funny, talented, and I could tell from the first conversation we had that you liked me for me and not because I was famous," Blaine explained. "These past few months I've spent getting to know you… they've been some of the best of my life. So, yes I want to be with you."

Kurt blushed hot, but smiled softly. "I-I want to be with you too," he said.

Blaine smiled at him before cupping the teen's face and drawing him into another chaste yet passionate kiss. They were interrupted a second time by Kurt's phone buzzing in his hand. Kurt drew back with a laugh as he looked down at the messages.

"I really do have to get going," he said.

"Okay," Blaine chuckled, releasing his hold on Kurt before watching the teen walk to the door. "Hey, Kurt?" he called out before he left.

"Yeah?"

" _It don't matter what'll come to be. Our love is all we need to make it through…,"_ Blaine sang with a smile. Kurt giggled and shook his head. He waved at Blaine once more before leaving and jogging down the hallway to collect his winning trophy, shaking his head in disbelief. If you would have told him this would be his life, he would've laughed and thought you were insane. But instead, he really was living the dream.


End file.
